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The World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine
Itive and CW Can Nursing (1995) 9, 142 0 Longman Cmup UK Ltd 1993
The World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine The 6th World Congress on Intensive and Critical Care Medicine will be held in Madrid, 14-18 June 1993. This represents a gathering of doctors and nurses engaged in critical care practice from around the world, and there will be a full medical and nursing programme over the 5 days of the Congress. On this occasion the Congress is hosted by the WFSICCM in conjunction with the Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Spanish Society of Intensive and Coronary Care Nurses. There are currently three nursing societies in membership of the Federation - the British Association of Critical Care Nurses, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and the Confederation of Australian Critical Care Nurses. It is hoped that the Spanish Society of Intensive and Coronary Care Nurses will be admitted to membership at the General Assembly in June. The nursing societies in current membership of the WFSICCM have recently collaborated in the production of a position statement to offer support for consistent and appropriate education of nurses caring for critically ill patients around the world. This has been approved by Council of the World Federation, and it is planned to distribute it at the forthcoming World Congress. For the information of members of BACCN and other critical care nurses in the United Kingdom, the text is reproduced below. The declaration of Madrid on the preparation of critical care nurses 1. Preamble
Critical or intensive care is a complex specialty developed to serve the delicate health care needs of patients and families with actual or potential lifethreatening conditions. The role of the critical care nurse is essential to the multidisciplinary team needed to provide care to critically ill patients. The critical care nurse, who enhances delivery of a holistic, patient-centred approach in a high tech environment, brings to this team a unique combination of knowledge and caring. In order to fulfil their role, nurses require appropriate specialised knowledge and skills not typically included in the basic nursing programmes of most countries. Governmental, professional and educational bodies governing the practice of nursing must recognise the vital importance of specialised preparation for critical care nurses in order to 142
assure the health of their community. This declaration presents guidelines universally accepted by critical care professionals, which may be adapted to meet the educational and health care requirements of a particular country or jurisdiction. 2. Central principles 2.1 Patients and families have the right to receive individualised critical care from qualified professional nurses. 2.2 Critical care nurses must possess appropriate knowledge and skills to effectively respond to the needs of patients, to the demands of society, and to the challenges of advancing technology. 2.3 When a basic nursing education programme does not include the specialised knowledge and skills needed, these must be provided to nurses who will take care of critically ill patients and their families. 2.4 Nurses with specialised knowledge and expertise in the provision of care to critically ill patients should play an integral part in the education of critical care nurses, even when a educational approach is multidisciplinary, utilised. 2.5 The preparation of critical care nurses must be based on the most current available information and research. 3. Recommended
content areas
As a minimum, the critical care dimensions of the following topics should be included in programs to prepare critical care nurses. The categories are not listed in order of importance: Anatomy and physiology Pathophysiology Clinical assessment Illnesses and alterations of vital body functions Plans of care and nursing interventions Medical indications and prescriptions with resulting nursing responsibilities Psychosocial aspects Technology Patient and family education - Ledgal and ethical issues - Professional nursing roles in intensive care - Use of current research findings to plan and give care. NOVEMBER
1992
The World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine The 6th World Congress on Intensive and Critical Care Medicine will be held in Madrid, 14-18 June 1993. This represents a gathering of doctors and nurses engaged in critical care practice from around the world, and there will be a full medical and nursing programme over the 5 days of the Congress. On this occasion the Congress is hosted by the WFSICCM in conjunction with the Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine and the Spanish Society of Intensive and Coronary Care Nurses. There are currently three nursing societies in membership of the Federation - the British Association of Critical Care Nurses, the American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and the Confederation of Australian Critical Care Nurses. It is hoped that the Spanish Society of Intensive and Coronary Care Nurses will be admitted to membership at the General Assembly in June. The nursing societies in current membership of the WFSICCM have recently collaborated in the production of a position statement to offer support for consistent and appropriate education of nurses caring for critically ill patients around the world. This has been approved by Council of the World Federation, and it is planned to distribute it at the forthcoming World Congress. For the information of members of BACCN and other critical care nurses in the United Kingdom, the text is reproduced below. The declaration of Madrid on the preparation of critical care nurses 1. Preamble
Critical or intensive care is a complex specialty developed to serve the delicate health care needs of patients and families with actual or potential lifethreatening conditions. The role of the critical care nurse is essential to the multidisciplinary team needed to provide care to critically ill patients. The critical care nurse, who enhances delivery of a holistic, patient-centred approach in a high tech environment, brings to this team a unique combination of knowledge and caring. In order to fulfil their role, nurses require appropriate specialised knowledge and skills not typically included in the basic nursing programmes of most countries. Governmental, professional and educational bodies governing the practice of nursing must recognise the vital importance of specialised preparation for critical care nurses in order to 142
assure the health of their community. This declaration presents guidelines universally accepted by critical care professionals, which may be adapted to meet the educational and health care requirements of a particular country or jurisdiction. 2. Central principles 2.1 Patients and families have the right to receive individualised critical care from qualified professional nurses. 2.2 Critical care nurses must possess appropriate knowledge and skills to effectively respond to the needs of patients, to the demands of society, and to the challenges of advancing technology. 2.3 When a basic nursing education programme does not include the specialised knowledge and skills needed, these must be provided to nurses who will take care of critically ill patients and their families. 2.4 Nurses with specialised knowledge and expertise in the provision of care to critically ill patients should play an integral part in the education of critical care nurses, even when a educational approach is multidisciplinary, utilised. 2.5 The preparation of critical care nurses must be based on the most current available information and research. 3. Recommended
content areas
As a minimum, the critical care dimensions of the following topics should be included in programs to prepare critical care nurses. The categories are not listed in order of importance: Anatomy and physiology Pathophysiology Clinical assessment Illnesses and alterations of vital body functions Plans of care and nursing interventions Medical indications and prescriptions with resulting nursing responsibilities Psychosocial aspects Technology Patient and family education - Ledgal and ethical issues - Professional nursing roles in intensive care - Use of current research findings to plan and give care. NOVEMBER
1992